Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book is the earliest extant printed collection of English language

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

nursery rhyme

Nursery rhyme

The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...

s, published in London in 1744

1744 in literature

The year 1744 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*May 29 - Alexander Pope is received into the Roman Catholic faith, a day before his death.*Samuel Foote makes his debut as an actor....

. It was a sequel to the lost Tommy Thumb's Song Book
Tommy Thumb's Song Book
Tommy Thumb's Song Book is the earliest known collection of British nursery rhymes. Though it was printed in 1744, no original copy has survived, but its content has been recovered from later reprints...

and contains the oldest version of many well-known and popular rhymes, as well as several that have been largely forgotten.

Publication

With the full title: Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book Voll. [sic] II, this was a sequel to the now lost Tommy Thumb's Song Book

Tommy Thumb's Song Book

Tommy Thumb's Song Book is the earliest known collection of British nursery rhymes. Though it was printed in 1744, no original copy has survived, but its content has been recovered from later reprints...

, published in London by Mary Cooper in 1744. For many years, it was thought that there was only a single copy in existence, now in the British Library

British Library

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...

, but in 2001 another copy appeared and was sold for £45,000. An alleged earlier collection, Songs for the Nursery, or Mother Goose
Mother Goose
The familiar figure of Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes which are often published as Mother Goose Rhymes. As a character, she appears in one "nursery rhyme". A Christmas pantomime called Mother Goose is often performed in the United Kingdom...

's Melodies, was supposedly published in Boston in 1719. However, the location has been disputed, and no record of such work exists. Henry Carey

Henry Carey

Henry Carey may refer to:*Henry Charles Carey , American economist*Henry Carey , dramatist and songwriter*Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon , politician, general and potential illegitimate son of Henry VIII of England*Henry Carey, 1st Earl of Dover Henry Carey may refer to:*Henry Charles Carey...

's 1725 satire on Ambrose Philips

Ambrose Philips

-Life:He was born in Shropshire of a Leicestershire family. He was educated at Shrewsbury School and St John's College, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow in 1699. He seems to have lived chiefly at Cambridge until he resigned his fellowship in 1708, and his pastorals were probably written in...

, Namby Pamby

Namby Pamby

Namby Pamby is a term for affected, weak, and maudlin speech/verse. However, its origins are in Namby Pamby , by Henry Carey.Carey wrote the poem as a satire of Ambrose Philips and published it in his Poems on Several Occasions...

, quotes or alludes to some half-dozen or so nursery rhymes. As a result, this is the oldest printed collection of English language

English language

nursery rhymes that is available. The book seems to have been printed entirely from copperplates, which contained words and illustrations. It is 3x1 inches and it is printed with alternating red and black pages.

The book contains forty nursery thymes, many of which are very familiar, including;

Ladybird Ladybird
Ladybird Ladybird
"Ladybird Ladybird" is an English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 16215.- The rhyme:...
Sing a Song of Sixpence
Sing a Song of Sixpence
Sing a Song of Sixpence is a well-known English nursery rhyme, perhaps originating in the 18th century. It is also listed in the Roud folk song index as number 13191.-Lyrics:...
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Who did kill Cock Robin?
Little Robin Redbreast
Little Robin Redbreast
‘Little Robin Redbreast’ is an English language nursery rhyme, chiefly notable as evidence of the way traditional rhymes are changed and edited. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 20612.- Lyrics :...
Hickere, Dickere, Dock
Hickory Dickory Dock
"Hickory Dickory Dock" or "Hickety Dickety Dock" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 6489.-Lyrics:The most common modern version is:Hickory, dickory, dock,The mouse ran up the clock....
Mary, Mary, quite contrary
Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
"Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary" is a popular English nursery rhyme. The rhyme has been seen as having religious and historical significance, but its origins and meaning are disputed...

There are also a number of less familiar rhymes, some of which were probably unsuitable for later sensibilities, including:

Piss a Bed,

Barley Butt,

Your Bum is so heavy,

You can't get up.

Some nursery rhymes turn up in disguise:

The Moon shines Bright,

The Stars give a light,

And you may kiss

A pretty girl

At ten a clock at night.

This is an earlier version of:

When I was a little boy

My mammy kept me in,

Now I am a great boy,

I'm fit to serve the king.

I can handle a musket,

And I can smoke a pipe.

And I can kiss a pretty girl

At twelve o'clock at night.

Publication

Contents

See also